Method, system and apparatus for highly controlled light distribution from light fixture using multiple light sources (LEDs)

ABSTRACT

An apparatus, method, or system of lighting units comprising a plurality of lighting elements, such as one or more LEDs, each element having an associated optic which is individually positionable. In embodiments of the present invention, one or more optics are developed using optimization techniques that allow for lighting different target areas in an effective manner by rotating or otherwise positioning the reflectors, refractive lenses, TIR lenses, or other lens types to create a composite beam. The apparatus, method, or system of lighting herein makes it possible to widely vary the types of beams from an available fixture using a small number of inventoried optics and fixtures. In some cases, by using a combination of individual beam patterns, a small set of individual optics would be sufficient to create a majority of the typical and specialized composite beams needed to meet the needs of most lighting projects and target areas.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a Continuation Application of U.S. Ser. No. 12/467,160 filed May15, 2009, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,356,916, issued Jan. 22, 2013,which application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of provisionalU.S. applications 61/054,089 filed May 16, 2008 and 61/097,483 filedSep. 16, 2008, all of which applications are hereby incorporated byreference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to systems andmethods for lighting. In particular, embodiments of the presentinvention relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for highlycontrolled light distribution from a light fixture using multiple lightsources, such as LEDs (light emitting diodes).

Existing HID fixtures use single large light sources which provide lightbeams which can be controlled somewhat by varying reflector design andmounting orientation. Typical LED fixtures having multiple small lightsources function similarly. Each small light source has an optic(reflective or refractive lens) which creates a particular beam pattern.The beams from each LED are identical in size, shape, and cover the samearea (the offset of a few inches based on position within the fixture isinsignificant given the size of the beam as projected). This means thatthe beam from the fixture is simply a brighter version of a single beam.

This approach requires the optic being used with the LED be designed toproduce the final shape of the luminaire output (for example an IES typeII distribution) when combined with the LED. The disadvantage of thisapproach is that the designed optic can only be used for one type ofdistribution and requires separate development, tooling, and inventorycontrol for each optic and beam type. An example of these types offixtures are the LED fixtures produced by BetaLED (Beta Lighting Inc.,Sturtevant, Wis.; www.betaled.com) which use an array of identical“Nanoptic”™ lens which are designed for each different type of beamdesired.

Thus, these fixtures may be improved with regard to controlling thedistribution and intensity of the beam, and control of glare and spilllight. A light fixture which provides a beam pattern that is more easilyvaried and controlled is therefore useful and desirable in the lightingindustry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of embodiments of the present invention. It will beapparent, however, to one skilled in the art that embodiments of thepresent invention may be practiced without some of these specificdetails.

Embodiments of the present invention are described with reference toLEDs, LED lighting, etc., however, embodiments of the present inventionare equally applicable to various other solid state (also referred to assolid-state) or other lighting devices (such as e.g., lasers) orfixtures that allow for multiple light sources to be packaged togetherin a small area.

For purposes of description it is convenient to describe the embodimentswherein the LEDs are facing up. For purposes of description of thecomposite beam output, it is convenient to describe the apparatuswherein the LEDs are facing down. Descriptions in terms of directionalorientation is not intended to preclude mounting in any otherorientation as desired.

It is therefore a principle object, feature, advantage, or aspect of thepresent invention to improve over the state of the art.

It is a further object, feature, advantage, or aspect of the presentinvention to solve problems and deficiencies in the state of the art.

Further objects, features, advantages, or aspects of the presentinvention include a method for creating a system of light distributionto provide lighting of a specified illumination to a pre-determinedarea. Said area can include standard beam shapes such as IES/NEMA beamtypes as well as individually customized beam shapes, including shapeshaving uneven light distribution with added or subtracted amounts oflight in small areas which can be on the order of one meter square. Oneexample, the composite beam, e.g. beam 200 as seen in simplified formfrom above in FIG. 2A, can be comprised of light beams 210 from a singlefixture 10. Alternatively, the composite beam 220 may be formed fromlight beams 210 from multiple fixtures 10 that are part of a collectivegroup (as seen in FIG. 2B). IES or IESNA (Illuminating EngineeringSociety of North America) and NEMA (National Electrical ManufacturersAssociation), and standard beam shapes are well-known to those skilledin the art.

Advantages of some embodiments include the ability to provideillumination of the desired shape, size and intensity to target areas ofa pre-determined specification, such as corners, walkways, buildingsurfaces, as well as areas in proximity to “low light zones” such asresidences, parks, etc., using relatively high intensity (high candelaproduced), high efficiency (high lumens/watt) light sources. Otheradvantages include the ability to provide an even illumination of atarget area that avoids harsh spots, shadows, glare, and otherundesirable effects.

Further objects, features, advantages, or aspects of the presentinvention include an apparatus, method, or system of lighting unitscomprising a plurality of lighting elements, such as one or more LEDs,each element having an associated optic which is individuallypositionable. In embodiments of the present invention, one or moreoptics are developed using optimization techniques that allow forlighting different target areas in an effective manner by rotating orotherwise positioning the optics to create a composite beam. Associatedoptics may include reflectors, refractive lenses, TIR lenses, or otherlens types. The determination of which type of associated optics to usecan be based on applicability to a particular use such as emittanceangle from the fixture, or manufacturing costs and preferences, forexample.

Further objects, features, advantages, or aspects of the presentinvention include an apparatus, method, or system of lighting whichmakes it possible to widely vary the types of beams from an availablefixture using a small number of inventoried optics and fixtures, therebypotentially reducing fixture cost, reducing lead time for customlighting, and multiplying the versatility of any new fixtures or opticswhich could be created. In some cases, by using a combination ofindividual beam patterns, a small set of individual optics (perhaps onthe order of less than 10) would be sufficient to create a majority ofthe typical and specialized composite beams needed to meet the needs ofmost lighting projects and target areas.

Apparatus

Some embodiments of the present invention provide for an apparatuscomprising a lighting fixture with a plurality of individual lightsources. The plurality of individual light sources may includesolid-state light sources (such as LEDs). Each light source may includeits own optic with elements such as reflectors, refractive lenses, lightblocking tabs, and/or other elements. Each individual optic, accordingto embodiments of the present invention, is part of an array of opticsplaced in a specific location relative to the fixture and/or the otherlight sources. This array could be an arrangement of rows, a circular,radial, spiral pattern or any other pattern or shape. The individualoptics could be mounted in the fixture by a means that also provides foradjustment in one or more directions relative to the light sources so asto vary the location of the individual beam within the composite beam.Adjustment of the optics could be preset by the manufacturing orassembly process, or the fixture could be manufactured such that therotational position of individual optics could be set at installation orat a later time. This could allow, for example, a local inventory ofindividual fixtures that could be very quickly configured for givenapplications.

While traditional LED fixtures commonly mount the LEDs with snap-fitcomponents and/or adhesives, these mounting techniques can lead to lossof position or alignment, or fixture failure within a short period oftime relative to desired lifetime of area lighting fixtures (i.e., a fewyears vs. a desired lifetime on the order of decades). The envisionedmounting/adjustment method and apparatus provide improvements in theart.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the fixture mayinclude LEDs mounted on a substrate that may be a circuit board oflaminated or layered metal, standard circuit board materials, and/orother materials that provide dimensional stability, a means to provideor affix necessary circuitry, and optional benefits for thermalmanagement.

In embodiments of the present invention, the fixture may optionallyinclude elements to further direct or control the individual beams suchas tabs (e.g. 35. FIG. 9) or analogous structure which may be affixedwithin the fixture relative to one or more individual light sources andplaced in such a way as to restrict direct, non-reflected ornon-controlled light or similarly to restrict light emitted at an anglewhich is not desired for the particular application.

System

Embodiments of the present invention provide for a system that uses aplurality of fixtures or fixture groups placed at various spaced-apartlocations within or around an area to be lighted. Further, embodimentsof the present invention can use one or more groups with one or morefixtures per group to provide a desired level of illumination within atarget area of a pre-determined specification in order to providecoordinated benefits of the above lighting method for areas such assports fields, parking lots, buildings, etc.

Method of Designing Lighting System

According to embodiments of the present invention, designing thelighting system may require two or three separate steps, includinganalyzing the intended application, selecting individual optics, anddesigning the composite beam. These steps may be repeated as necessaryto optimize the design.

a) Creating Composite Beam

In one aspect, the beam is composed as follows: the light beam from eachoptic (i.e. the beam produce by light from a light source which isdirected by the optic) produces a portion of the overall beam pattern.This beam portion may be the primary or essentially the only lightsource for a certain portion of the target; alternatively, by combininga set of these optics that project various beam types (for instancecircular, elongated, or oblong beams), a series of overlapping beams canbe built to a desired pattern (e.g. FIG. 3D) at a desired level ofillumination, which can help to compensate for the distance (inversesquare law) and incident angle (cosine law) or for other factors. Forexample, more individual beams can be directed towards the farther edgesof the composite beam (see e.g. FIG. 3B), or different beam patterns(e.g. circular, elongated, narrow, wide, etc.) having differentintensities can be created such that distribution in the target area iseven (e.g. many ‘ten degree’ circular beams might be used forilluminating the area farthest from the fixture, while fewer ‘twentydegree’ beams could be used closer to the fixture and so on). The beamedges may overlap the adjoining beam at any desired degree to provideuniform distribution or the entire beam may overlap another beam toincrease the intensity, and the composite beam can be composed of acombination of a number of individual beams of different sizes, shapes,distribution angles, and orientations (e.g. subject only to availablelens design, an “oblong” beam 403 FIG. 4 could be oriented axially withthe beam, transverse to the beam, or at some other angular orientationrelative to the beam axis). The result would be a beam distribution, ina rectangle, oblong, oval, circle, fan, or other shape as desired asillustrated in FIGS. 3A-3E.

In accordance with embodiments, as might be used on a sports field, sucha beam could provide illumination at, for example, the base of the lightfixture mounting pole as well as to distant areas on a field.Additionally, in embodiments of the present invention, the beam could becut off at the edge of a field (FIG. 3C) while still providing adequateillumination close to the edge of the field. Examples of shapes whichcan be easily adapted to illuminate, for example, the corner of a field(FIG. 3E), a football field (see FIG. 3D), a short and wide building 270(see FIGS. 14A-C), a tall and narrow building 280 (see FIGS. 15A-15B),as well as many other specific shapes and configurations are shown.

‘Pixellation’

Unlike conventional lighting fixtures, embodiments of the presentinvention can provide ‘granular’ or ‘pixellated’ control of light at ahigh level of precision, wherein for a given application, small areas,which could be on the order of 1 square meter (more or less according tolens design, mounting height, fixture mounting angle, etc.), can havebrightness somewhat controlled. This allows areas within the target areato be emphasized. For buildings, signs, or other applications where asharply defined shape is to be illuminated, these embodiments providegreater flexibility than conventional lighting.

In an example, an HID lamp putting out 36,000 lumens can coverapproximately 180 m² (an area 12 m×15 m) at 200 lux (lumens/m²).Embodiments of the present invention provide for a fixture that includesmultiple LEDs that can cover the same 180 m² area. Each single LED, inone example, is capable of putting out 200 lumens and provides enoughlight for one square meter. This provides a level of precise controlthat provides, in effect, a “pixel by pixel” control of illumination ona target area, which both conventional HID and LED lighting cannot do.Both conventional HID and conventional LED fixtures are limited to thebeam pattern as projected from the fixture, with minor modificationpossible by use of methods which can only affect the whole beam or alarge portion of the beam.

Additional Optional Elements

An embodiment that uses reflective-type lenses might not work well if aflat plate glass cover, e.g. 40, FIG. 1B, were required for the fixtureand the fixture needed to be oriented more or less parallel to theground, since some beam patterns might require a high angle ofincidence. The result might be that the light might be reflected by thesurface of the cover rather than transmitted through the cover. In thiscase, it might be more effective to use the refractive lens design or tochange the cover design. Use of anti-reflective coatings for covers iswell known in the art, with theoretical allowable angles of incidence upto 60° from normal, which could increase usability of refractive lensesat higher angles. However, their use is generally limited to about 45degrees from normal, which could make the use of refractive lens arraysrather than reflective arrays more effective under some circumstances.

Optional additional elements could include an additional lens or lensesor other optical element in association with the fixture which maycontribute to the overall lighting effect or may provide other benefitssuch as enhanced aesthetics, protection of the components of thefixture, or reducing any unpleasant visual effects of directly viewingthe fixture.

A fixture using an array of LEDs could allow light at an angle which isrelatively controlled and that might be acceptable for some applicationsbut could still benefit from additional control. Using a single visor ofa type which is common to existing lighting fixtures would tend toeither completely block the light emitted from the lights near the frontof the fixture (refer to FIG. 7B) or to have little or no effect on theangle of emission from the light sources near the rear of the fixture.(refer to FIG. 7C). Multiple visors 797 as shown in FIG. 7D wouldprovide an additional novel means of precisely controlling light from afixture.

Aimability

Some embodiments of the invention provide or enhance the ability topre-aim a fixture at the factory relative to a particular location orapplication. The envisioned embodiments may be easily pre-aimed, sincetheir placement of light on an area can be accurately established andindexed to the intended mounting positions of the fixtures.Additionally, the fixtures may be aimed precisely in the field byindexing from individually aimed lights/optics or from precisionmanufactured reference location on the fixture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments and aspects of the present invention will be described andexplained through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate a fixture according to embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 1C illustrates a fixture according to embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIG. 1D illustrates a substructure or frame which provides orientationand indexing according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 1E illustrates a method of assembly of an array of LEDs and opticsaccording to embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 2A-2B show aspects of formation of a composite beam according toembodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 3A-3E illustrate potential composite beam layouts according toembodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows examples of some beam shapes that may be created or used assub-beams according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates aspects of an example fixture using reflector typeoptics according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6A shows Bezier controls used in the design of a reflective opticelement according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a graphical representation of an untrimmed image of an opticcreated according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6C is a graphical illustration of the trimmed image based on thetrim line of an optic according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6D shows isocandela traces based on a typical parabolic reflectiveoptic element;

FIG. 6E shows footcandle traces based on a typical parabolic reflectiveoptic element;

FIG. 6F shows isocandela traces based on a modified reflective opticelement created according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6G shows footcandle traces based on a modified reflective opticelement created according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 7A-7D illustrate the need for and application of a ‘visor’according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 8A-8B illustrate and application of the ‘visor’ to arrays of LEDsaccording to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 8C illustrates a section view (with some lines removed) of afixture according to embodiments of the present invention having‘visors’ applied to arrays of LEDs according to embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates an application of a reflective tab to an array ofLEDs according to embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates a means of adjustment of an optic according toembodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 11A-11B illustrate differences in the effect of lighting with andwithout control of spill light;

FIGS. 12A-12C illustrate a composite beam with a relatively narrow beamand large incident angle according to embodiments of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 13A-13C illustrate a composite beam with a wide beam whichprojects light from a low to high range of incident angles according toembodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 14A-14C illustrate another building type that might be illuminatedby a fixture in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 15A-15B illustrate how a fixture, in accordance with embodimentsof the present invention can provide precise illumination on the face ofa tall, narrow building. For comparison, a conventional fixture with aconventional round beam on a tall, narrow building is shown in FIG. 15C;

FIGS. 16A-D are similar to FIGS. 14A and B and showing how a beam thatcould be suitable for a wide building could be modified to be suitablefor a narrow building.

The figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, thedimensions of some of the elements in the drawings may be expanded orreduced to help improve the understanding of the embodiments of thepresent invention. Moreover, while the invention is amenable to variousmodifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have beenshown by way of example in the figures and are described in detailbelow. The intention, however, is not to limit the invention to theparticular embodiments described. On the contrary, the invention isintended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention provide for an apparatus, system,and method for creating a composite beam from LEDs (or other individuallight sources) and associated optics such as reflectors or lenses. Thecomposite beam can be comprised of light beams from a single fixture(see FIG. 2A), or light beams from light sources of multiple fixturesthat are part of a collective group (see FIG. 2B). Said fixture containsa plurality, which may be a large plurality, of individual light sources20, FIG. 1A and their associated optics. Associated optics may includereflectors 30, FIG. 1A, refractive lenses 60 FIG. 1C, TIR lenses 50 FIG.1C, or other lens types. The determination of which type of associatedoptics elements to use can be based on applicability to a particularuse, which can include considerations of type and shape of fixture (e.g.in order to consider such things as wind loading and aesthetics),mounting angle, ambient conditions, etc.

A. Exemplary Method for Designing a Lighting System—Overview

In general, the lighting professional using embodiments of the presentinvention will first analyze the intended application, then, selectindividual optics, and design the composite beam. Of course this processmay be iterative given possible design conditions and constraints.

Analyzing the Application

In analyzing the application, a determination will be made regarding thesize and shape of the intended target area and desired illuminationlevel based on intended usage, yielding a total desired lumens value orfigure. Then a determination of the minimum number of fixtures of thetype anticipated to be used can be made, based on the number of lumensper light source and number of light sources per fixture which mustprovide the required total lumens. These values, parameters, or figureswill then be modified, based on requirements for the target area, suchas e.g. preferred, allowable, and prohibited fixture mounting locations,fixture setback from the target area, mounting height, calculations ofangle of incidence of the illumination and consideration of the inversesquare law of optics. Given these items, using one of several possiblemethods, the lighting designer will begin designing the light layout toprovide desired illumination of the target area. This will be similar todesigning using conventional HID or LED fixtures. However, the designercan plan lighting at a much finer scale since the individual lightsources each contribute a small amount to the total light applied to theentire target area. Additionally, unlike using conventional HID or LEDlighting, if there are any areas for which the amount of light should beincreased or reduced, this can be accomplished by changing the aiming ofa few individual light sources without necessitating a significantreduction or increase in light on adjacent areas.

a) Select or Design Individual Optic

If satisfactory individual optics for the given application are alreadyin existence, one or more types may be selected to potentially meet theneeds of the application which has been previously analyzed. If notavailable from previous design, new ones may be designed. One methodthat may be used according to embodiments of the present invention isdiscussed later.

One advantage of the present invention is that a single optic, orlimited number of optics, can be used to create multiple lightingconfigurations. This is done by creating an optic that creates a portionof a beam pattern that can be used with an LED or similar light in anarray of similar lights to create the desired final beam pattern shapefrom the luminaire (e.g. IES type V). The desired final beam pattern iscreated using the aforementioned designed optic with an LED array andpositioning the optic at various angles to the LED to create the finalbeam pattern using the sub-pattern from each optic. FIG. 2A illustratesan example of a composite beam 200 formed by sub-beams 210.

While embodiments of the present invention can be used for creating arealights having patterns as prescribed by the IES types, the pattern fromthe luminaire is not constrained to the IES types and can be used tocustom configure a luminaire for a specific lighting task.

Select or Design Fixtures

Within the design process, individual fixtures will be selected for usewith the appropriate optics. These fixtures will be placed in groups onpoles or in mounting locations according to the overall plan for theapplication. At this point the original design considerations andselection of optics will be re-examined and changes made as necessary tofine-tune the design.

B. Detailed Development of Optics

Deficiencies of Parabolic Optics

The development of the optic for the sub-beam is now described accordingto certain aspects of the invention. While a parabolic optic is easilydesigned and may be used in embodiments of the invention, other types ofoptics can provide more desirable results. It is well known that aparabolic surface when combined with a light source at the parabolicfocus produces a spot beam that is aimed along the axis of the parabola.This spot beam can be directed by pointing the parabolic axis in thedesired direction. However, one disadvantage of the spot beam from theparabola for area illumination is that the intensity profile from thereflector will create a non-uniform distribution on the area beingilluminated, with an intense spot in the center with a sharp transitionto zero light on the edge. This is ordinarily not an optimum output beamfor use in illuminating areas. A desirable pattern usually contains amore uniform distribution with light directly below the luminairesmoothly transitioning to the edge of the beam.

Embodiments of the present invention provide for systems and methods forbeing able to develop several different beam types from a single opticdesign that has been specially designed to allow for the smooth blendingof a sub-beam into a composite beam. This is accomplished with a singleoptic rather than multiple optics, a single development cycle, and asingle piece to inventory, resulting in distinct advantages in cost andspeed to market.

Embodiments of the present invention provide for creating a modifiedparabolic shape to produce an output beam that both projects a spot tobe used as a sub-beam, and creates a smooth distribution on the areabeing illuminated in order to have sub-beams that can be combined tocreate desirable illumination beams from the full luminaire. An exampleangular output for a parabolic optic pointed at 70° to nadir and a CREE(Durham, N.C. USA) model XRE White LED is shown in the graph in FIG. 6D(units are candela), which illustrates a characteristic “spot” type beamfrom the system. Taking this beam and using it to illuminate a plane 10feet below the system as an area type light yields the distribution onthe ground is shown in FIG. 6E (units for the output are footcandles).

Modifying Parabolic Optics

An example starting point with Bezier control points 600 is shown inFIG. 6A. Each control point is parameterized via its X,Y,Z coordinateand its control point weight W. The basic parabola shape produces a spotbeam.

The parabolic shape is parameterized using a Bezier polynomial scheme toallow for adjustment of several parameters to control the reflectorshape to achieve a desired output distribution. Bezier mathematics areused extensively in computer aided design and are known to those skilledin the art. The result of using Bezier mathematics is a simplified listof points and control points that generally describe the surface andallow for manipulation of the surface through these parameters. The useof Bezier splines for optical design is well documented.

The parameterized parabola is redefined using an automated optimizationroutine to drive the reflector shape to produce a sub-beam that willproduce a more uniform output beam when arranged as with the parabolaspot beams above. The optimization routine is a genetic algorithm (see,e.g., Vose, Michael D (1999), The Simple Genetic Algorithm: Foundationsand Theory, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. Whitley, D. (1994); and AGenetic Algorithm Tutorial. Statistics and Computing 4, 65-85). Agenetic algorithm can be beneficial in solving these types of problemsdue to the large number of variables and the uncertain behavior of themerit function. The genetic algorithm used may include real valuedchromosomes along with tournament selection, crossover, and mutation.Other variations of genetic algorithms can be used as required. Themerit function in at least one embodiment is defined as the falloff ofillumination from the center of the pattern to the edge of the pattern.The value of the merit function was increased as this falloff becamecloser to a linear falloff. Of course, depending on the desired use, themerit function would be different for different applications. The meritfunction is well-known (see, e.g., Press, W. H.; Flannery, B. P.;Teukolsky, S. A.; and Vetterling, W. T. “Bessel Functions of FractionalOrder, Airy Functions, Spherical Bessel Functions.” §6.7 in NumericalRecipes in FORTRAN: The Art of Scientific Computing, 2^(nd) ed.Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1992).

Table 1.0 shows the surface definition of an optic that was createdusing this merit function. The optic is defined by the 3rd Degree×3rdDegree Bezier Patch (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,336 regarding 3^(rd)Degree Bezier Patch) Description:

TABLE 1.0 Surface Definition Pt # X Y Z Weight 1 9.52 7.88 −0.79 1.000 211.59 6.18 5.97 1.547 3 7.82 4.74 13.22 2.368 4 6.84 −0.04 −0.46 1.296 59.70 1.83 3.48 2.968 6 5.43 3.48 10.46 3.859 7 3.61 −4.24 −0.15 0.739 85.28 −0.96 4.98 1.846 9 3.19 1.34 9.22 0.771 10 0.00 −2.63 0.00 1.000 110.00 −2.60 6.91 2.113 12 0.00 0.67 9.27 0.727 13 0.00 4.57 11.53 1.000

Note that only the right half control points are listed as the left halfis symmetric about y axis. FIG. 6B is a graphical representation of theuntrimmed image (showing control points on both halves), while FIG. 6Cis a graphical illustration of the trimmed image based on the trim linedescribed in Table 2.0.

TABLE 2.0 Trim Line for Notch Pt # X Y Z 1 0 0.54 0 2 0.213 0.54 0 32.647 4.645 0

After optimization of the shape, the sub-beam has the following angularand illumination outputs as shown in FIGS. 6F and 6G. When the opticsare subsequently arranged by rotation around the LEDs to achieve aspecific pattern, the resulting output pattern is a more desirableillumination.

Exemplary Genetic Programming Algorithm

In embodiments of the genetic algorithm, the variables that aremanipulated are the X,Y, and Z coordinates of each control point, alongwith the Bezier Weight of each control point (see, e.g., Xiaogang Jinand Chiew-Lan Tai, Analytical methods for polynomial weightedconvolution surfaces with various kernels, Computers & Graphics, Volume26, Issue 3, June 2002, Pages 437-447). For the specific example, therewere 36 variables. The merit function was determined by taking a slicethrough the illuminance data from a single reflector starting at 5 feetfrom the fixture out to 50 feet from the fixture. The data was taken in1 foot increments, and then compared to a theoretical uniform linethrough those same points. The deviation from the line at each point wascalculated and squared, and the total difference was the square root ofthe sum of those squares. The fitness function for the algorithm has toactually increase to show better performance, so the final merit valuewas 1/(total difference) so that it would approach infinity as the fitto the line got better. The actual code to calculate the fitness isshown here:

M1=0  $DO 5 50  {  VALUE ? 0 P1 M1=M1+((−0.0356*(?)+4.4778)−P1){circumflex over ( )}2  }  RETURN LINEDIF=SQRT(M1)  FITNESS=1/LINEDIF

In the specific example, a real valued chromosome was used (in otherwords, the variables were not converted into zeros and ones) with 36Genes (the total number of variables). The population size was set to100. A tournament format was used to determine which chromosomessurvived to be parents of the next generation and had 8 individualscompete in the tournament. The tournament selection was random.Crossover was performed using a random crossover mask where a 0 means tokeep the first parents gene and 1 means to keep the second parents geneand reversed the order of parents to generate a pair of children foreach pair of parents. Mutation in the children was allowed using amutation threshold of 0.3 (30% chance of mutation) with a mutationamount limited to 37.5% the amount of mutation was chosen randomly to bebetween 0 and 37.5% if mutation occurred). 1000 generations for theoptimization were run.

As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, there areprobably other combinations that could be used to either speed up theresults or obtain higher fitness functions.

C. Exemplary Method—Creating Customized (Non-Standard) Beam Shapes

Customized Beam Principles

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, individualoptics may be designed using well-known optical principles to project abeam of a desired shape and distribution. For example, the optic canprovide a type 5 lateral beam distribution with long verticaldistribution, or a type 2 lateral beam distribution with short verticaldistribution, or any other desired beam distributions. Design andconstruction methods for the optical lens and reflector are well knownin the art. Fixtures which are nearly parallel to the ground which areilluminating a distant target have an emittance angle that is ‘flatter’relative to the fixture, for which reflective optics may be moreappropriate, while fixtures which oriented more vertically relative tothe ground, or which are illuminating a target that is less distant orthat is directly underneath have an emittance angle that is ‘steeper’relative to the fixture, for which refractive optics may be moreappropriate. However, there is considerable overlap between thealternatives and therefore choice of reflective vs. refractive would bemade according to the circumstances. Alternatively, for someapplications, use of both reflective and refractive optics on the samefixture might be appropriate.

Design of Composite Beam Per IESNA

Having analyzed the overall application of the light to the target area,and selected or designed the appropriate individual optics, the designerwill lay out each individual optic within each fixture to design thecomposite beam. In order to design a specific composite beam for a givenapplication and target area, several methods could be used which areknown to those of ordinary skill in the art. A discussion of severalmethods can be found in the IESNA Lighting Education: IntermediateLevel, New York: Illuminating Engineering Society of North America,©1993, sections 150.5A and 150.5B.

In embodiments, light modeling can be used to select the optic designand orientation of the individual light beams to create the compositebeam from the fixture. For example, selecting one or more of the beamshapes 400-403 shown in FIG. 4 or from other beam shapes, the lightingdesigner, with optional assistance from a commercially availablelighting software program, can produce the desired composite beam shapeand intensity. The designer can determine the number and combinations ofbeam patterns provided by the lenses within the fixtures. For eachproject, the designer can proceed to select individual fixtures whichuse a certain number of reflective and/or refractive lenses. Asdesigned, the selected lenses would be assigned a position andorientation within the fixture such that light is distributed as desiredon the target area. In accordance with embodiments of the presentinvention, special consideration can be given to edges of target areasin order to provide even lighting at the edges without excessive spilllight beyond the target area.

Design of Beam by Luminaire Equivalence

Another method of designing a specific composite beam in embodiments ofthe present invention is calculating the “luminaire equivalence” of eachindividual optic combination, using existing or custom lighting designsoftware. Using this method, each individual source is considered as aluminaire. The designer can select the optic system based on itsphotometric properties and place the light from each individual sourceonto the target area as desired. This process would be repeated untilthe desired composite beam shape and intensity level was achieved. Inone or more embodiments, some level of automation could be added to thedesign process if desired.

Design of Beam by Standard Layout Tools

Another method of designing a specific composite beam in accordance withembodiments of the present invention is to use standard layout toolssuch as drafting board, computer-aided design software, or other tool(s)to arrange the selected beam shapes to create a composite pattern. Forexample, if the composite beam pattern desired looked similar to asshown in FIG. 3B then the available optics would be selected based ontheir distribution and intensity. These individual beams would bearranged to fill the area and multiple beams overlaid to achieve thedesired intensity.

The following Table 3.0 describes the optic selection and orientation ofthe individual beams form the light source optics system to create acomposite beam shown in FIG. 3B.

TABLE 3.0 Reflector Rotation (0 degrees is straight Optic type out, 90is left and (see FIG. 4) right) 400, 402 0 400, 402 7.5, −7.5 400, 40215, −15 400, 402 22.5, −22.5 400, 402 30, −30 400, 402 37.5, −37.5 400,402 45 400, 402 52.5 400, 402 60 400, 402 67.5, −67.5 400, 402 75, −75400, 402 82.5, −82.5 400, 402 90, −90 401 −45 401 −52.5 401 −60

Design of Beam by Other Methods

Other methods of composite beam design are possible and consideredincluded in this application.

In addition to designing a composite beam based on the use of a singlefixture, embodiments of the present invention may use multiple fixturesto target the same or overlapping areas in order to build up intensityto desired levels based on well known principals of lighting. Thecomposite beams from two or more fixtures would be combined to provideillumination over the entire target area.

Customized Beam Examples

The following figures illustrate various simplified composite beams inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention. FIGS. 12A-C show acomposite beam with a relatively narrow beam 240 and large incidentangle. FIGS. 13A-C shows a composite beam 250 with a wide beam whichprojects light from a low to high range of incident angles. FIGS. 15A-Bshows how a fixture of the type envisioned could provide preciseillumination on the face of a tall narrow building. FIG. 15B illustratesa representation of how the individual beams might be combined to coverthe desired areas on the building while essentially avoiding wasted or‘spill’ light.

FIG. 15C shows a building as it might be illuminated by a conventionallight fixture or an LED-type fixture with simple optics. The round beamfully illuminates the building but has significant spill light 290. FIG.15B shows, in simplified form, how the same building might beilluminated by the composite beam from a fixture in accordance withembodiments of the present invention. The multiple individual beams aredirected so as to avoid significant spill light but to provide completeillumination of the target area.

FIGS. 14A-C illustrate another building type that might be illuminatedby a fixture in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.FIGS. 16A-D show how an existing fixture that provides light beam 320which is suitable for illuminating a wide building (300) spills over at330 and would be unsuitable for a narrow building 310. The beam asmodified (340, FIG. 16D) illustrates how fixture 10 could be designed toprovide the correct illumination for building 310 in accordance withembodiments of the present invention.

The composite beams of FIGS. 3A-E also illustrates how customized, ornon-standard, composite beam shapes can be created to fit the needs ofspecial applications. For example, the composite beam of FIG. 3E wouldbe well suited for illumination in the corner of a target area. FIG. 3Balso illustrates how the intensity in the distal portion of the beam canbe increased by overlaying beams, (beam shapes 400 and 401 in thisexample).

D. Exemplary Apparatus—Reflective Lens Fixture

Fixture Construction

One example of a fixture 10 with individual optics is shown in FIG. 1A.The solid-state light sources 20 are mounted on a circuit board 80, FIG.1E, or other structure, in an offset row pattern. According toembodiments of the present invention, other patterns could also be used.Individual reflectors produce the desired beam pattern from each sourceand are also mounted on the circuit board, above each light source andoriented in the desired direction. The reflectors in embodiments of thepresent invention can be more or less specular, diffusing, and/orabsorbing, depending on the desired effect.

Various methods of attaching the reflector to the circuit board, orother structure, are available in embodiments of the present invention.Examples of means for attaching the reflector include, but are notlimited to, mounting as individual pieces above the light sources,mounting pins, fasteners or adhesive. An automated pick and placeassembly machine can be used in embodiments of the present invention toensure accurate placement of the reflectors and correct orientation perthe lighting design. Alternatively, the reflectors can be mounted to asubstructure or frame 90, FIG. 1D-1E, which provides orientation andindexing.

Optics

The individual optic used in the fixture of FIG. 1A is a reflector (30,FIG. 1C) over the LED light source 20 which projects the light in adesired pattern, based on the reflector design. The plurality ofreflectors are oriented in various directions, providing a beam patternas illustrated in FIG. 2A as one example of a possible composite beampattern. Orientation of each reflector is determined based on thedesired beam pattern and intensity.

The reflectors can be offset from each other to avoid potentiallyblocking light from the light source to its rear. They can include anoptional v-shaped notch in reflector 30 (FIG. 6C and FIG. 9) to allowsome of the light to be directed downward instead of outwardly. Thisprovides lighting directly below or in front of the fixture. FIG. 5illustrates an array 500 of individual light sources and examples ofpossible angular orientations for typical reflectors in accordance withembodiments of the present invention.

The reflector can be made of various materials depending on application,cost considerations, availability, etc. For example, a reflector couldbe made of molded plastic with metallized surface, injection molded,machined and polished from aluminum, etc.

An example of a type of adjustment or indexing method could be capturingthe individual lenses in a circular hole which could have degree orindex marks. The lenses could be equipped with a screwdriver slot andadjusted to a desired position. Or lenses could be positioned byprecision equipment which is temporarily indexed to the fixture. Lensesmight be held in place by a friction fit or by any number of clamping orfastening methods. The optics could also be simply positioned in amatrix 90, FIG. 1E, using an indexing system (e.g. cut-outs 95, spacers,bosses, etc.). Additionally, fine-tuning of light distribution could beaccomplished on site, and light distribution from a fixture could bemodified if needs for a specific location should change.

In accordance with some embodiments, the indexing system could bemachined or manufactured automatically as part of the matrix 90; thearray of optics can be attached such that the predetermined spacing,rotational positioning, etc. is established and maintained withreference to the individual light sources and the light fixture by usingmounting pins, screws, bosses, etc. that mate precisely with indices inthe mounting structure of the individual light sources (see e.g. 100,FIG. 1E). Further, this method of mounting could provide a high degreeof accuracy in mounting over a long period of time (on the order ofdecades of years), and the method of mounting the optic array to theindividual light sources relies on a small number of componentsmanufactured to certain tolerances in order to ensure precise indexingof the mating components.

Further adjustments could be included as part of the system to allowadjustment in a plane that is not generally parallel to the fixture. Forinstance, reflectors could be adjusted by ‘tipping’ the reflectorrelative to the mounting plane, using trunnion-type mounts 55 with e.g.setscrew 45 or gear and sector adjustments (see FIG. 10). Similarly,overlays could be designed to hold the reflector at a specific‘vertical’ angle relative to the mounting surface or template.

Example of Beam Layout

Table 4.0 describes one possible method of arranging the individualbeams from the light source optics system in FIG. 5 to create acomposite beam. In this example, the general composite beam is an IEStype 4 shape. The reflectors in this embodiment are all parabolic butother shapes could be used. In this example, the general composite beamis produced with a common optic design, of a parabolic design, usedthroughout the set of light sources on the fixture 500. See FIG. 5 foran example fixture and optical layout in reference to Table 4.0 below.

TABLE 4.0 Reflector Rotation (0 degrees is straight Source/optic X Y Zout, 90 is left and ID # (mm) (mm) (mm) right) 1 0 0 0 −90 2 28 0 0 90 356 0 0 −90 4 84 0 0 90 5 112 0 0 −90 6 140 0 0 90 7 168 0 0 −90 8 196 00 90 9 224 0 0 −90 10 252 0 0 90 11 280 0 0 −90 12 308 0 0 90 13 336 0 0−90 14 364 0 0 90 15 0 28 0 −82.8 16 28 28 0 82.8 17 56 28 0 −82.8 18 8428 0 82.8 19 112 28 0 −82.8 20 140 28 0 82.8 21 168 28 0 −82.8 22 196 280 82.8 23 224 28 0 −82.8 24 252 28 0 82.8 25 280 28 0 −82.8 26 308 28 082.8 27 336 28 0 −82.8 28 364 28 0 82.8 29 0 56 0 −75.6 30 28 56 0 75.631 56 56 0 −75.6 32 84 56 0 75.6 33 112 56 0 −75.6 34 140 56 0 75.6 35168 56 0 −75.6 36 196 56 0 75.6 37 224 56 0 −75.6 38 252 56 0 75.6 39280 56 0 −75.6 40 308 56 0 75.6 41 336 56 0 −75.6 42 364 56 0 75.6 43 084 0 −68.4 44 28 84 0 68.4 45 56 84 0 −68.4 46 84 84 0 68.4 47 112 84 0−68.4 48 140 84 0 68.4 49 168 84 0 −68.4 50 196 84 0 68.4 51 224 84 0−68.4 52 252 84 0 68.4 53 280 84 0 −68.4 54 308 84 0 68.4 55 336 84 0−68.4 56 364 84 0 68.4 57 0 112 0 −61.2 58 28 112 0 61.2 59 56 112 0−61.2 60 84 112 0 61.2 61 112 112 0 −61.2 62 140 112 0 61.2 63 168 112 0−61.2 64 196 112 0 61.2 65 224 112 0 −61.2 66 252 112 0 61.2 67 280 1120 −61.2 68 308 112 0 61.2 69 336 112 0 −61.2 70 364 112 0 61.2 71 0 1400 −54 72 28 140 0 54 73 56 140 0 −54 74 84 140 0 54 75 112 140 0 −54 76140 140 0 54 77 168 140 0 −54 78 196 140 0 54 79 224 140 0 −54 80 252140 0 54 81 280 140 0 −54 82 308 140 0 54 83 336 140 0 −54 84 364 140 054 85 0 168 0 −46.8 86 28 168 0 46.8 87 56 168 0 −46.8 88 84 168 0 46.889 112 168 0 −46.8 90 140 168 0 46.8 91 168 168 0 −46.8 92 196 168 046.8 93 224 168 0 −46.8 94 252 168 0 46.8 95 280 168 0 −46.8 96 308 1680 46.8 97 336 168 0 −46.8 98 364 168 0 46.8 99 0 196 0 −39.6 100 28 1960 39.6 101 56 196 0 −39.6 102 84 196 0 39.6 103 112 196 0 −39.6 104 140196 0 39.6 105 168 196 0 −39.6 106 196 196 0 39.6 107 224 196 0 −39.6108 252 196 0 39.6 109 280 196 0 −39.6 110 308 196 0 39.6 111 336 196 0−39.6 112 364 196 0 39.6 113 0 224 0 −32.4 114 28 224 0 32.4 115 56 2240 −32.4 116 84 224 0 32.4 117 112 224 0 −32.4 118 140 224 0 32.4 119 168224 0 −32.4 120 196 224 0 32.4 121 224 224 0 −32.4 122 252 224 0 32.4123 280 224 0 −32.4 124 308 224 0 32.4 125 336 224 0 −32.4 126 364 224 032.4 127 0 252 0 −25.2 128 28 252 0 25.2 129 56 252 0 −25.2 130 84 252 025.2 131 112 252 0 −25.2 132 140 252 0 25.2 133 168 252 0 −25.2 134 196252 0 25.2 135 224 252 0 −25.2 136 252 252 0 25.2 137 280 252 0 −25.2138 308 252 0 25.2 139 336 252 0 −25.2 140 364 252 0 25.2 141 0 280 0−18 142 28 280 0 18 143 56 280 0 −18 144 84 280 0 18 145 112 280 0 −18146 140 280 0 18 147 168 280 0 −18 148 196 280 0 18 149 224 280 0 −18150 252 280 0 18 151 280 280 0 −18 152 308 280 0 18 153 336 280 0 −18154 364 280 0 18 155 0 308 0 −10.8 156 28 308 0 10.8 157 56 308 0 −10.8158 84 308 0 10.8 159 112 308 0 −10.8 160 140 308 0 10.8 161 168 308 0−10.8 162 196 308 0 10.8 163 224 308 0 −10.8 164 252 308 0 10.8 165 280308 0 −10.8 166 308 308 0 10.8 167 336 308 0 −10.8 168 364 308 0 10.8169 0 336 0 −3.6 170 28 336 0 3.6 171 56 336 0 −3.6 172 84 336 0 3.6 173112 336 0 −3.6 174 140 336 0 3.6 175 168 336 0 −3.6 176 196 336 0 3.6177 224 336 0 −3.6 178 252 336 0 3.6 179 280 336 0 −3.6 180 308 336 03.6 181 336 336 0 −3.6 182 364 336 0 3.6E. Exemplary Apparatus—Refractive Lens

Optical refractive lenses 60, or TIR lenses 50, FIG. 1C, could be placedover the LED light sources to distribute the light, creating a similareffect, i.e. a highly controlled and customizable composite beam from alight fixture(s) with a plurality of light sources. The lenses can bemade of various materials depending on application, cost considerations,availability, etc. For example, the lens could be made of moldedplastic, optical glass, etc.

F. Exemplary Apparatus—Visor Strips

In embodiments of the present invention, visor strips as shown in FIGS.8A-C and are installed in order to limit the angle of emittance from thefixture. FIG. 7 a illustrates representative light rays 760 a-c, 770a-c, and 780 a-c emanating from light source 711 a-c in a simplifiedfixture 710 according to aspects of the invention. In FIG. 11A,exemplary rays 170 and 180 (composed of multiple rays 770 a-n and 780a-n as represented in FIG. 7 a) emanating from light fixture 10 are atan undesirable angle such that instead of illuminating tennis court 140,FIG. 11A-B, they continue in an undesired direction 130. Installingvisor 790 as in FIG. 7 b blocks all rays 770 and 780 as desired, butalso blocks ray 760 c from LED 711 c. Installing visor 790 as in FIG. 7c does allows transmission of rays 760 a-c as desired, but also allowstransmission of rays 770 a-b and 780 a-b, which is not desired. Anoptional solution according to embodiments of the present invention isshown in FIG. 7 d. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 d, installingidentical visor strips 797 a-c allow rays 760 a-c to be transmitted asdesired, and blocks the respective rays 770 a-c and 780 a-c from theirundesired paths and redirects them to provide useable light in thetarget area.

These visor strips are shown in use with reflective optics, however thestrips can be used with refractive or other optics in embodiments of thepresent invention.

The visor strips could be constructed of metal, plastic, or othermaterials. They can be coated with various materials to provide any typeof surface desired, such as specular, diffuse, or light absorbing. Thesize (i.e. height), placement and angle of the visor strips could becalculated in order to provide specific benefits, such as (a) blockinglight at a certain angle relative to the fixture, (b) reflecting lightdown as seen in FIG. 7D in order to provide additional light in a givenarea (e.g. directly below/in front of a mounting pole/structure). Theedges of the visor strips could be linear or could be shaped or modifiedto provide specific light diffusion characteristics. Optionally, insteadof having planar surfaces, the visor strips could be given shapes thatwould provide further benefits for control or distribution of light inembodiments of the present invention.

The visor strips 797 could be mounted (a) in a standard configurationper fixture, (b) could be designed and mounted at a specific angle orlocation according to a custom or semi-custom fixture configuration, or(c) could be adjustable by the installer or user. The mounting angle andheight of the visor strips 797, FIG. 7D, relative to the fixture couldbe adjusted in the factory or field. For example, in embodiments of thepresent invention the fixtures could be adjusted by either a mechanismthat provides variable tilt, or by installation of visor strips with amounting angle that could be specified, or by other means. Mountingheight could be adjusted by shims, selection of different height visorsper application, threaded adjustment, or other means.

G. Exemplary Apparatus—Light Blocking Tabs

An additional optional feature is a protruding tab 35 FIG. 9 in thevicinity of the light source which is used to block and/or reflect lightwhich is directly emitted by the light source rather than beingreflected from the reflector. The tab could be made of material whichwould block or reflect light, and could be more or less specular,diffusing, and/or absorbing, depending on the desired effect, positionrelative to the source, etc.

H. Exemplary Apparatus—Combination of Lens Types

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the individualoptic combinations in the fixture can include a mix of refractive lensesand reflectors and may also include reflective tabs or visor strips.

I. Apparatus—Exemplary, Not Limiting

The components described above are meant to exemplify some types ofpossibilities. In no way should the aforementioned examples limit thescope of the invention, as they are only exemplary embodiments.

In conclusion, as illustrated through the exemplary embodiments, thepresent invention provides novel systems, methods and arrangements forderiving composite beams from LED or other lighting. While detaileddescriptions of one or more embodiments of the invention have been givenabove, various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents will beapparent to those skilled in the art without varying from the spirit ofthe invention. Therefore, the above description should not be taken aslimiting the scope of the invention.

Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplaryembodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the presentinvention. For example, while the embodiments described above refer toparticular features, the scope of this invention also includesembodiments having different combinations of features and embodimentsthat do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, thescope of the present invention is intended to embrace all suchalternatives, modifications, and variations thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of creating highly customizable lightbeam patterns from a light fixture so to illuminate a target area havingdefined boundaries comprising: a. mounting a plurality of light sourcesat spaced-apart positions on a substrate, each light source having itsindividual light output distribution; b. positioning an optic relativeto each light source to individually control the light outputdistribution from each light source into a modified light source outputdistribution according to one or more of: i. type of optic, wherein thetype of optic is selected from one of (i) light transmitting or (ii)light reflecting or absorbing, and ii. orientation of the optic relativeits light source; c. creating a composite light beam pattern from eachlight source and optic combination comprising selecting a first subsetof light source and light transmitting optic combination to illuminate afirst portion of the target area and selecting a second subset of lightsource and light reflecting or absorbing optic combination to illuminatea second portion of the target area, the second portion of the targetarea including at least a portion of said defined boundaries.
 2. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the said light source comprises: a. a solidstate light source; b. a high intensity discharge light source; or c. anincandescent light source.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein theindividual light output distribution can vary between light sources. 4.The method of claim 1 wherein the type of optic can comprise: a. arefractive lens, b. a total internal reflection lens, c. a reflector, d.a light blocking component; or e. a visor.
 5. The method of claim 1wherein the orientation of the optic can include: a. rotationalposition; or b. spacing.
 6. The method of claim 1 further comprisingassembling the light sources and optics into the fixture.
 7. The methodof claim 6 further comprising installing the assembled fixture relativethe target area to be illuminated.
 8. The method of claim 7 furthercomprising supplying and controlling operating power to the fixture. 9.An apparatus for creating highly customizable light beam patterns from alight fixture comprising: a. a plurality of light sources atspaced-apart positions on a substrate, each light source adapted toproduce an individual light output distribution; b. an optic mountedrelative to each light source; c. an indexing component to orient eachoptic relative to its light source comprising a substrate or layerincluding openings for each optic, the openings cooperating with theoptic to orient it; and d. each optic adapted to individually controlthe light output distribution from each light source into a modifiedlight source output distribution according to one or more of: i. type ofoptic, and ii. orientation of the optic relative its light source; e. sothat a customizable composite light beam pattern can be generated fromthe customizable individual light source and optic combinations.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 9 wherein the optic comprises one or more of: a. arefractive lens, b. a total internal reflection lens, c. a reflector, d.a light blocking component; and e. a visor.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9wherein the light source comprises a solid state light source.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 9 where the individual light output distribution ofeach light source is a function of: a. type of light source; b. color oflight output; c. lumen output; d. beam spread; and e. beam direction.13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the orientation of the opticrelative to the light source comprises one or more of: a. rotationalorientation; and b. spacing.
 14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein thelight source positions on the substrate are in a two dimensional matrixof rows and columns.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the lightsources in adjacent rows are offset.
 16. The apparatus of claim 9wherein the openings individually orient the optic in a pre-designedmanner.
 17. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the openings individuallyorient the optic rotationally relative to its light source.
 18. Theapparatus of claim 9 wherein the openings individually orient the opticaxially with its light source.
 19. The apparatus of claim 9 furthercomprising a visor mountable on the substrate of the light sourcesrelative to at least one light source.
 20. The apparatus of claim 9wherein the optics and light sources can vary in type.
 21. The apparatusof claim 9 further comprising: a. electrical circuitry to each lightsource; b. at least one heat sink for the light sources; and c. ahousing.
 22. The apparatus of claim 9 positioned relative to a targetarea to be illuminated.
 23. The apparatus of claim 9 positioned relativeto a target area to be illuminated with one or more additional saidapparatuses.
 24. The combination of claim 23 comprising said apparatuseselevated on one or more elevating structures and aimed towards thetarget area to compositely illuminate the target area.
 25. Thecombination of claim 24 further comprising an electrical circuit topower the apparatuses and control their operation.
 26. The apparatus ofclaim 9 in combination with one or more additional said apparatuses andfurther comprising: a. selecting the type and light distribution of eachlight source; b. designing a composite light distribution for thefixture; c. designing individual output distributions for the pluralityof light sources to create the composite light distribution for thefixture; d. orienting an optic relative each light source.